2025 Gnu Hyper, 160 cm
Available Sizes: 151, 147, 157, 159W, 160 cm
Stated Stated Nose-Waist-Tail Widths (160 cm): 30 / 25.6 / 29.5 cm
Stated Sidecut Radius (160 cm): 8.3 m
Rocker Profile: C2x (rockered between feet, two individual sections of camber under and
outside the feet)
Stated Flex Rating: 7/10
Core Construction: Poplar/paulownia + carbon stringers + triax/biax fiberglass laminate
Base: Sintered die-cut
Reviewer: 6’2”, 165 lbs / 188 cm, 72.8 kg
Stance: 15°, -3°, 21.5’’
Boots Used: K2 Waive
Bindings Used: Jones Mercury
Test Duration: 20+ days
Test Locations: Furano, Japan; Alpental, WA; Mt. Bachelor, OR; Brighton and Snowbird, UT
Intro
Gnu, an arm of Mervin Manufacturing (along with its sibling, Lib Tech), is one of the great American snowboard brands. Founded in the early 1980s by Mike Olson and Pete Saari, it has been widely credited for bringing deep, carving-friendly sidecuts to snowboarding (and later to the ski industry). Mervin also introduced reverse camber to snowboarding in the 2000s.
Notably, Mervin also walks the walk when it comes to sustainability. From castor-bean-derived topsheets to biodiesel-powered factories, they were among the first to focus on sustainability in snowboard manufacturing.
The Gnu Hyper has had several iterations, but its current form is designed by former Gnu rider and Natural Selection tour standout, Blake Paul, and returns unchanged this season. The Hyper uses much of Mervin Manufacturing’s flagship technology and is geared to be a versatile all-mountain freestyle board. After several months of testing, we think Gnu’s descriptors like “Simple elegance“ and “Less is radical” seem pretty accurate — let’s get into why.
What Gnu Says about the Hyper
“Simple elegance… the perfect freestylers all mountain board. An eco-friendly wood core rides smooth and stable. Carbon Power Bands ensure long lasting precision and pop. The C2 Hybrid contour, floaty nose and tapered directional shape settle nicely into things when conditions get soft. Magne-Traction® and a refined side cut make this an effortless carver on hardpack and ice. Less is radical!”
Shape & Construction
The Hyper is a directional shape, albeit with a scant 5 mm of taper from tip to tail and a set-back stance. It’s narrower than many of its competitors, with a 256 mm waist for the 160 cm size.
The core is aspen / paulownia, with triaxial and biaxial fiberglass and carbon stringers. The sintered base has held wax well and proven durable through several rock encounters.
As with other Mervin boards, the Hyper does not feature full-wrap edges, a decision that’s meant to reduce swing weight and make nose and tail dings easier to repair. No other major brands (that I know of) are doing this, and I’m ambivalent about it. On one hand, a metal edge on the nose and tail does increase the resistance of the board to low-energy impacts. On the other, easier repair of the tip and tail and less likelihood of potentially catastrophic nose and tail dings (that affect the core) are significant advantages. Personally, I haven’t noticed the reduced swing weight, but I also haven’t had any durability issues with the Hyper.
Camber Profile & Flex Pattern
The Hyper uses Mervin’s “C2x” camber profile, which is essentially a small, steep section of rocker between the feet with two traditional camber zones under each binding, adding up to an overall reverse-camber shape.
For its intended rider, the Hyper is on the softer side compared to other all-mountain freestyle daily drivers, such as the K2 Antidote and Capita Mega Merc, but the Hyper maintains a good amount of snap and ollie power (likely thanks to its carbon stringers). The softer flex combined with the overall reverse-camber shape makes for a very manageable and easy ride, with an edge-to-edge quickness that you can see in the board’s architect, Blake Paul.
FULL REVIEW
Hardpack
The Hyper is a very fun board on firm conditions. Its narrow waist makes for quickness edge-to-edge, but its sidecut radius is comparatively long, and consequently isn’t catchy when making long-radius turns. At the same time, the Hyper’s fairly soft, consistent flex pattern makes it easy to make short-radius surfy and skidded turns. I’ve found that the Magne-Traction (Mervin’s industry-first serrated edge technology) does make for dependable edge hold on hardpack and compensated for the “saucer-like” feeling that can come with boards that have rocker between the feet.
For flat-based hill bombing, the Hyper’s between-the-feet reverse camber can feel a little unstable compared to a traditional camber board, especially if other boards in your quiver are camber-dominant. This “saucer-like” feeling took a little getting used to, but after a few days, I felt very comfortable riding flat-based on hardpack. The nimble, malleable ride of the Hyper makes it a great board for surfing gullies, airing side hits, launching cat tracks, and mobbing through chewed-up resort terrain.
Powder
In deep snow, the Hyper manages to serve as both a floaty powder board and capable freestyle deck. Unsurprisingly, the C2x camber profile helps the Hyper float well and resist diving, from ultralight Hokkaido powder to dense “hot pow” in the Cascades. The board’s subtle amount of taper is enough to be noticeable in powder, but not enough to feel cumbersome when spinning or landing.
It’s not the widest board, and the associated decrease in volume makes it a bit less ideal for the deepest snow compared to fatter, shorter boards like the K2 Special Effects, Rossignol Sushi, or Rossignol Sashimi, but the Hyper is a much more capable freestyle board in deep snow as a result.
Chop / Variable Snow
The Hyper shines in variable snow. Its softer flex pattern and reverse-camber profile make it feel forgiving in chop, and its narrower waist helps keep it feeling maneuverable in cut-up bumps. It’s certainly not a charger and instead favors nimble, light-footed riding styles. The 5 mm of taper is subtle but much appreciated when plowing through chop and packed powder, where it helps to keep the nose planing on top of rougher snow. The Hyper’s landing gear isn’t the most supportive, but the pocket of camber under the back foot does a better job of not washing out than other reverse-camber-dominant boards I’ve tried.
Durability
After 20+ days on it, the Hyper’s sintered base and edge construction haven’t shown any cause for alarm so far. The partial-wrap edges have held up well, and I haven’t noticed any significant wear with normal use (as has been the case with other Mervin solids and splitboards that I’ve ridden). The bean-based top sheet has also proven durable with no chips.
Who’s It For?
The Hyper would be a great board for a few types of riders looking for a board that can perform across a wide range of conditions. Strong riders looking for a surfy, playful, and malleable all-mountain freestyle daily driver should check it out and likely err on the bigger side of sizing, given its softer flex pattern. On the other hand, given its forgiving and maneuverable nature, the Hyper would also make a capable option for intermediate riders looking to ride bigger terrain across the whole mountain and start dipping their toes into the freestyle world.
Bottom Line
The Gnu Hyper is a playful, floaty, and nimble all-mountain freestyle board that’s damp, easy to ride, and energetic.
